About “Campaign Speech”

Eminem’s “Campaign Speech,” much like his last freestyle leading up to an album, is a verbal onslaught with dense wordplay and rhyme schemes devoid of reverence for anyone famous or infamous. From Dylann Roof to Trayvon Martin, Donald Trump to Edward Norton, Eminem leaves no one out.

A campaign speech is meant to express what you stand for and believe in when running for a position of power. The song fittingly dropped the day of the third presidential debate, 19 days before the 2016 election.

The seven and just over half minute freestyle was released on October 19, 2016 on Shade45’s Sway in The Morning.

Is “Campaign Speech” a freestyle?

How can this be a freestyle?

Nowadays we also call “freestyle” written lyrics that are not meant to become a full song.

For example this freestyle featuring Biggie and Pac, is not a freestyle off the top of the head, it’s written lyrics that have not been used in any song. Their verses were actually re-recorded later to be included in the songs Come On and Nothing To Lose.

Structurally, “Campaign Speech” is too disjointed and doesn’t have any concrete verses, which is what also makes it qualify as a freestyle.